Mexican Restaurants – Page 20

Mariscos Monday: The El Puerto Mariscos Truck

March 9, 2015 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

I noticed a "new" Mariscos Truck while driving down Convoy two weeks ago name El Puerto. I felt it was a bit too cold for tacos at that time, but what a difference a week makes. Looks like winter has made its way out of San Diego. Bright and sunny days are perfect for "lonchera lunching"…..

So I parked the car…..the truck is located in the small space between Convoy Liquors (4383 Convoy Street) and Wienerschnitzel (4393 Convoy St)….you can't miss it. I walked up and took a look at the menu; much like Mariscos Nine Seas, things looked quite gringo friendly, which sends off alarms bells. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Pretty straight forward stuff. I ordered a Fried Fish Taco ($1.50), A Fried Shrimp Taco ($2.50), and was overjoyed to see a Gobernador ($4.25) on the menu as well. It was a nice day, so I did as I would usually do….I ate on the hood of my car. Based on how things looked, I expected no consommé and got none.

The fish taco wasn't my favorite….a rather small piece of fish; the batter was on the greasy side and it did not hold up well. It was adequately moist, but tasted a bit more fishy than I like. The fried shrimp was the best of the bunch, the batter, while still on the greasy side held up well, the shrimp were mist and plump.

I've got to say, this was the strangest gobenador I've ever had, also the smallest. You can check out other versions on some of our older posts.

At least the tortillas….not great quality as they all fell apart, had a layer of melted cheese. Basically some stir fried shrimp and a few slices of green pepper (no onions, no tomatoes???) and a couple of slices of avocado. And here I thought the version at the Mariscos Tijuana Jr Truck was different.

The salsas were by the book, decent. The folks running the truck were very nice. Because my order was taking a bit long, they offered me my choice of beverage on the house.

Still, I'd rather drive down South for my Mariscos Fix.

El Puerto Mariscos Truck

Currently parked between 4383 and 4393 Convoy.

Hours:

Monday – Saturday 10am - 4pm

Taqueria Revolucion

February 18, 2015 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

**** This location became Tacos Frontera which has closed

Man, when was the last time I had honest to goodness tacos…….work has kept me busy, so trips outside my usual "range" had been put on hold. I'd heard about Taqueria Revolucion a few months back, but was too busy to check them out. I mentioned them to my coworker Karina who went to check them out the next weekend. She came back and told me the place was worth a visit.

Recently, I was craving some tacos….and of course Tacos el Gordo comes to mind, as did Fernandez Catering and a couple of others. But I thought why not take the time to drive a bit further to San Ysidro and check out the revolutionary taqueria?

The place is fairly nondescript, I almost passed it….

The interior is unassuming and quite plain, the menu simple, but solid and the young lady working quite hard to take orders, work the register, then deliver the goods to each table….and man, the burritos looked titanic.

But I'm a taco kind of guy and I ordered three along with some Consomme de Birria ($1.25).

I gotta say, this was my favorite item of the day. It was fairly thick, beefy, mildly spiced, with just enough salt and lime to keep me happy. Quite good.

I also ordered tres tacos.

The Adobada was decent, loved the way they did the tortillas, dipping them in the drippings. I prefer mine a bit sweeter, but he texture was nice, and it was satisfying.

I had originally wanted a Nopal Queso Taco, but they were out. So I quickly replaced it with Carne Asada. Which was better than I thought it would be.

It was stuffed with finely chopped beef, which had a pleasant chew. The flavor was nice….I swear, there's some soy sauce/maggi or something like that in here. Not too salty, light citrus tones; much better than I expected.

The Birria Quesataco was good. Though the birria was on the milder side, which played up to the queso, adding a nice milky component to the whole thing. The birria, though mild needed no salt and just a touch of lime from me.

I enjoyed the tortillas, perhaps a bit harder than preferred, but I believe they are made inhouse.

I enjoyed my meal and will probably be back if I'm in the area, especially for some of that consomme. I'd been craving some decent tacos for a while and this hit the spot. The owner, whose name is Emilio I believe, came out and stopped by to chat with all his customers…….mostly regulars it seems, but a few newbies as well. Very friendly guy.

After waiting for a few months, I finally got my taco fix…..

Taqueria Revolucion
362 E San Ysidro Blvd
San Diego, CA 92173

COMC: The Smoking Goat and Romesco

December 13, 2014 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, European Restaurants, French Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants

I usually don't take photos in these type of restaurants. I hate bothering other customers and feel strange with a ton of people around me (i.e. Juniper and Ivy). These have been lying around for a while so I thought I'd just do a photos post.

Very different in terms of cuisine; but some common ties. The service at both places was good. And I thought the salads were the best dish. Strangely uneven and somewhat underwhelmed overall.

The Smoking Goat:

The cassoulet was probably the meal in a microcosm, some of it was excellent, the andouille melted in your mouth, almost etheral, the lamb was just amazing. However, the duck confit was dry and too salty, and the "stewed" flageolot beans, I love the usual firmness giving away to a nice creamy testure, were in this case undercooked and hard, not tough, hard….loved the breadcrumb crust. A hundred bucks later, we left scratching our heads…..

The Smoking Goat
3408 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104

Romesco:

For some reason, I really took to the tableside Caesar Salad, it just had the right balance of flavors for me.

Other than that, I can't really say I was impressed…..

Romesco Mexiterranean Bistro
4346 Bonita Rd
Bonita, CA 91902

Two Al Fresco Taco Stands: Yuma

December 11, 2014 ed fromyuma Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

I really have no idea what Cathy and Kirk are doing today, but they are not posting at mmm-yoso, because Ed (from Yuma) has a post here instead. But before the actual post begins, Ed wants to give a shout out to the fabulous Tamale Festival in Somerton (just a few miles S of Yuma on Hwy 95) which this year will take place on Saturday, Dec 20, 2014. Over 40 different tamale vendors – real artisan tamales, some of the very best I have ever eaten. Come Go!

This is the prime season for dining out – out-of-doors, actually – in Yuma. Here are two places well worth a visit.

El Buen Taquito

Some things change – some things stay the same. El Buen Taquito has been part of the Yuma dining scene for a long time, well before my first post about it. Now EBT has relocated to 8th Street almost across from Food City, and it is only partially a taco truck these days:

As you can see, there is now a semi-enclosed space as well as restrooms; the cooking is done in the separate truck.

Currently, there is no identifier on the building because the signage for the new location is a small billboard facing west at the edge of the lot:

On the other hand, the menu is basically the same:

You go up to the window, place your order, get a number, and sit at one of the tables inside or out. Your food will arrive shortly.

Tina and I started with the consommé:

As previously, this was really good. Both of us appreciated that this broth was more complex than we anticipated – with herbal and citrusy notes that enhanced its beefiness.

Tina ordered two flautas, a taco dorado, and a tostada:

I received two sopes:

and five flautas:

EBT is the king of crunch. The simple potato rolled tacos were magnificent, perfectly deep-fried (who knows in what?). The mild shredded beef flavored the crispy folded taco and the tostada. My sopes lacked the crackle of the other items, but the corn cakes had a nice chew. I found the whole meal to be filling and satisfying. EBT doesn't do a lot, but what it does, it does well.

El Buen Taquiyo seems open from before lunch into the later evening every day, and it always seems to have customers.

Mariscos El Delfin

This is the second year for this small restaurant that occupies the space that previously contained the El Navegante truck (1019 Ave B):

Seafood is not just the specialty here, it is just about the only thing served. The truck seems to be a one-woman operation, and her English is not fluent, but this modest seafood stand with two plastic tables is doing a good job.

Recently I stopped in for her combination coctele – containing pulpo and Camaron (octopus and shrimp) ($10):

The sundae glass nearly overflowing with seafood. The octopus was perfectly prepared, not gooey nor leathery, just fresh and chewy tasting:

The shrimp fresh and perfectly cooked:

As well as sauces sitting on the table, Delfin has a first-rate HOT house salsa that can perk up anything:
While the seafood was perfectly prepared, the cocktail liquid was dominated by lime flavors and a bit one-dimensional. I also prefer a wider range of ingredients such as the campechanas at Juanita's or Mariscos Mar Azul.

On the other hand, right now Mariscos El Delfin is making my favorite fish tacos in town:

The fish filets are fresh and hot and flavorful. While the breading could be crunchier, the taco is otherwise wonderful and perfectly balanced.

The shrimp tacos likewise:

Tina and I were also amazed by the ceviche:

While not containing a lot of pescado, the freshness of all of the ingredients impressed. The balance between the citric tang and the crisp sweetness of the veggies was the perfect backdrop for the fish. No way overpowering, but just about right in every way.

Mariscos El Delfin is open 10 AM to 5 PM every day of the week except Monday.

La Casa Blanca-revisit (La Mesa)

December 9, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Hello again and thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are busy with things. Cathy has no things happening, so she is blogging.

I wrote about La Casa Blanca more than a year ago and The Mister and I eat here pretty regularly, but the photos never make it out of my camera. Here are a few reasons why The Mister and I love this little place. Though the small twinkling lights are up(as they were in May of 2013), the main room wasn't fully decorated for the holidays..or was it? We should ask that most interesting man standing in the corner…When we drop by for lunch, there is usually a lady making fresh corn tortillas in an area near the bar. This day, it wasn't busy and she brought two to our table, with butter, just after the fresh made salsa and chips were brought over…what a way to whet the appetite.The Mister ordered a Jalisco Plate ($12.95) this day- carne asada seasoned just right along with the usual accoutrements, all good and fresh.One of the appetizers we enjoy is the Queso Fundido (con rajas) ($8.95). Queso Fundido can be ordered plain (it's quite a deep dish of melted cheese), with the roasted pepper (as seen) or with chorizo (as seen in the prior post) and this day we were trying to be 'healthy' eaters, with some vegetable…Then there is the reason I wanted to come here: the house made Ranchero Pinto Bean soup ($4.95). A very large bowl of this comforting multi bean, sausage, chorizo and bacon along with some onion, bell peppers, poblanos and topped with a dry cheese is just the thing I want on some days. It's filling and flavorful and just right.

I hope your week is going well.

La Casa Blanca 9570 Murray Drive La Mesa, CA 92042 (619) 466-2912 Website

Mariscos El Camaron-lunch (Chula Vista)

December 5, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Usually Kirk writes the posts and sometimes Ed (from Yuma) contributes. Right now, the guys are busy and Cathy, who occasionally writes here is using this day to write about one of her occasions.

When The Mister and I had our eight days of birthday celebrating, we were looking for (another) place for lunch and just North and East of E Street at Broadway, this yellow building caught our eyes. We returned a few months later…Even after reading cc's post because we figured it would be quiet and clean…Even the parking lot was decorated with an ocean theme.The interior is festive, has at least six televisions and is quite large. It turns out that this is the place to go in the evenings on Friday and Saturday, when live Banda is the overwhelming music background.When we were seated, the tabletop condiments as well as the freshly made tomato based salsa were noted.Since I could not decide, a fish ceviche tostada ($4.50) ended up as our 'appetizer' and a mixta tostada ($7.95) was my 'main'. Both were freshly made when ordered and the simple fish ceviche was wonderful as well as plentiful (it could have been a light meal) and the mixta, with fish, shrimp, octopus and scallops was 'cooked' with not only lime juice but also a bit of red/chile pepper and had different flavor points; completely different ceviches and each excellent.The pescado frito huachinango ($14.95) was wonderful! A whole snapper, fried with garlic, topped with fresh salsa and accompanied by beans, rice and a salad was a wonderful meal. The fish was fresh, meaty and fried perfectly with a crispy skin, fins and tail (all of which I happily crunched as a snack while The Mister was cleaning the meat off the skeleton).

Even though it's been here since about 2009, Mariscos El Camaron is new to us and was another great find. I hope you have a great weekend!

Mariscos El Camaron 193 Broadway Chula Vista 91910 (619)425-5835 Open Mon-Wed 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Th 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-2 a.m., Sat 10 a.m.-2 a.m., Sun 10 a.m., 12:30 a.m.

Pacific Ave Taco Truck Food Court: Yuma

November 25, 2014 ed fromyuma Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Recently, readers of mmm-yoso have been in Japan with Kirk and in Pasadena with Cathy, but today you get to come over to Yuma with Ed for tacos and more.

It is the fall, the time trees turn color and lose leaves, birds (including snowbirds) head for warmer climes, traffic thickens in town, and Yuma's taco trucks flourish.

Way back around November 2005, Kirk came to Yuma and sampled our taco truck cuisine and dubbed a cluster of trucks in an empty lot "a food court." In the fall of 2013, the newest taco court opened on a large concrete pad in a previously empty lot on the west side of Pacific Avenue just about a block south of 16th St. – not really very far from Yuma Palms shopping center:

There are a lot of parking places and tables and chairs:

And currently at least four different taco purveyors:

Let me apologize here for the limitations of this post. Some of the photos are lousy, and they are the best I had because of bad lighting and unskilled photographer. On top ot that, Tina and I have visited these trucks several times when I had no camera with me. So this post is more of a shout out than a report.

On our most recent visit, we tried Blancurri’s, one of the smaller vendors:

The special that evening was $1 pollo asado tacos:

Pretty good, but a little dry. Our favorite taco that night was what's called the mix chilada taco, a flavorful and spicy combination of carne asada and red chile chicharrones (sorry for the lousy picture):

The adobada torta was good as well, the tender pork chunks slightly spicy and the bolillo roll nicely grilled.

Arianna’s, which has been here since the marketplace area first opened, anchors the north side of the lot:

Tina and I have enjoyed the wide range of tacos here – including pastor and chicharones:

Or tripas and asada:

Tina especially enjoyed the nutty earthy flavor of the tripas and we both liked the chicharrones with red chile.

The hot dogs are another specialty, bacon wrapped, nicely grilled, and served in a hot bun with the full range of condiments:

The Monster truck is located at the other end of the food court:

It features a somewhat different menu including some unusual choices:

For most of Monster's dishes, you get to choose between asada, pollo, or pastor, but the pellizcadas includes all three meats, whole beans, cabbage, and onion on a large soft thick corn tortilla:

Tina and I both enjoy the vampires here, the toasted corn tortillas adding crunch to the meats and condiments. Here is one with asada:

The pastor is also excellent:

The monster taco has a soft tortilla, abundant roasted green chili, and your choice of protein and condiments:

The tortas (in this case with chicken) are extra-large here:

But the true monster on the menu is the hotdog:

The extra-large bacon wrapped wiener is slathered with condiments and coupled with a grilled guero pepper and abundant grilled onions. Truly outstanding dog.

In any case, this is a convenient cluster of interesting mobile eateries, which allows folks to wander around and try different dishes. They all have excellent aguasfrescas. Most of the trucks seem open every evening (if not sooner), and we've enjoyed every visit. Take advantage of our nice weather, try some things here, and let us know what you liked.

Guzmán Marketplace (this seems to be the official name of the foodcourt), 1628 S. Pacific Ave., Yuma, Arizona.

Places we’ve posted on too many times: Tsuruhashi, Aqui es Texcoco, and Koon Thai

November 20, 2014 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants, Thai Restaurants

Yep, we've done a ton of posts on these places, so here are mostly photos.

Tsuruhashi:

We've been coming since they first opened, though I haven't posted on the place in a couple of years. Forgot to take a photo of the Yukke, but here's the rest….oh, and we had two orders of the "harami" – prime skirt steak.

Service recently has been really nice…….so we've been enjoying ourselves here.

Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ
3904 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Aqui es Texcoco:

The only one of the the Missus's three favorites back in March to survive until winter. Except I was the one who was craving the mixiote.

I never noticed the Plato Azteca on previous visits…basically nopales (cactus) stir fried with two selections….I choose huitlacoche(of course) and flor de calabaza (squash blossom).

delici-oso!!!

Aqui Es Texcoco
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911

As a bonus, I ran into none other than Sawyer at Hogetsu! Great seeing you man!

Koon Thai:

Rather close to the office, there are a couple of dishes I think they do well.

The fried spareribs is not one of them.

The Khao Karr Moo – the simmered pork leg, takes me back to Thailand…..getting off a water taxi, you're inundated by the fragrances coming off the various food stands…..

The Pla Sahm Rod presentation looked sloppy, but it had a decent flavor and the fish was fried well.

Not as good as my previous visit, the rice was terrible, some of it hard as rock, the other hald mushy. Still, we didn't come here for the rice. Service was friendly, even though the place was totally slammed at lunch. Much better than the sometimes surly service I'd gotten here at times in the past.

Koon Thai Kitchen
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant (Kensington)

October 21, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, is continuing with daily posts while Kirk is recovering, Ed(from Yuma) is recuperating and Cathy is recalling another meal.

Ponce's, another family owned San Diego institution, has been involved in the Kensington Community of San Diego since 1969. Located at the Northeast corner of Adams Avenue at the 15, it's difficult to miss.
The interior is calming, filled with 'old Mexico' decor and reminiscent of a mini museum, preserving culture. Ponce's is known for its extensive selection of old fashioned margaritas, cocktails and tequila selection in general.Part of each tablescape's condiment selection is a small six page leather bound book. Popular for its exponential 'Turn any tequila into a margarita' as well as a 'Turn any beer into a Michelada' options, the bar area here is always busy. Alas this was lunchtime for us. When we were ordering, The Mister was having a hard time deciding a 'third item', vacillating between a crispy quesedilla, the chile con queso appetizers or trying a chile relleno side. Our waitress was helpful (stating she had just had a chile relleno and it was so good) and knowing we had never had the chile con queso, brought is a small serving we could try with our complimentary chips and (really good, fresh, chile based) salsa. Nice way to get us to crave chile con queso until the next visit. The Mister decided on a half Ensalada Suprema ($5.95) and added carne asada ($1.95). The resulting salad of Romaine, bell peppers, pinto beans, tomato, avocado, Cotija cheese and tortilla strips with tender, flavorful carne asada was quite large enough for one. The house dressing, served on the side was a bit too sweet for my taste; I mixed it with salsa, which was great.

We also shared the freshly made chile relleno ($3.95). I forgot to take a cross section photo because I was enamoured with the freshly made sauce with multiple flavor points.
The reason I was here: Enchiladas Suizas ($11.95) Corn tortillas filled with moist, shredded white meat chicken and Manchego cheese topped with (yet another) freshly made sauce, this time tomatillo based. So good; another craving that engulfs me.

So, there you have it- five wonderful fresh made sauces, completely different and each quality. All served with fresh, quality vegetables, tortillas and meats. Since 1969.

Ponce's Mexican Restaurant 4050 Adams Avenue San Diego 92116 (619)282-4413 Website

Lourdes’ Mexican Food (The Best Chicken Soup in Town) (Escondido)

October 15, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

It's good to see you back here at our food blog named mmm-yoso!!! Kirk is enjoying vacation, Ed (from Yuma) is appreciating recreational time and Cathy is anticipating a respite in a few weeks.

Remember just about two weeks ago, when we had days with temperatures over 100˚? How about those mornings last week when you woke to a chilly 45˚? Felt good…until, you know, the coughing and sniffles started. Both The Mister and I were in need of some sort of soothing comfort not involving pharmaceuticals.
Driving to Escondido on a weekday was a breeze: up the 15 to Centre City Parkway, jump onto the feeder road that is Escondido Boulevard, pass Petersons Donuts and a few blocks more, on the right, is Lourdes. Since 1988 this location (and eventually adding two more locations) has made the best chicken soup in town -and it's about the best anywhere.Ordering is the standard: wait in line, order, pay, get a number, pick up beverages, stop at the salsa bar (complimentary chips and the mildest salsa are given to you when you order) and your freshly made food is brought out to you.Seating area is beautifully decorated (just like the faux windows painted outside), with only about 15 tables total. (The mural on the wall of the canal boats, Floating Gardens of Xochimilco, honor Lourdes, her husband and their children (the names on the trajineras are Hector, Lourdes, Wendy, Cynthia, Rafael and Alex).) Notice there are two bowls of soup on that foreground table.Even if we weren't sick, the comfort of the plain cheese quesadilla($3.29) is always an order. The cheese is more of a Oaxacan: creamy, stringy, flavorful.This day, a new menu item of chicken mole was on the counter Specials list. We ordered it in burrito form ($5.55). What an excellent mole: probably 30 different flavor points, sweet, slight heat, salty, nutty, savory and yet the chicken still had flavor.The large bowl of chicken soup ($6.99); our reason for this drive North. All white meat chicken in a wonderfully flavored broth, with 'everything': rice, cilantro, onion and avocado. Served with your choice of flour or corn tortillas, it is wonderful, deeply flavored, filling, curative. We were good after this meal.

Hope your week is going well!

Lourdes' Mexican Food 650 S. Escondido Boulevard Escondido 92025 (760) 746-1141 Mon-Thurs 9-9, Fri, Sat, Sun 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Website